Meet Mr. Lithium: Is the lithium industry about to see the same sort of titanic price hikes that have plagued

Is the lithium industry about to see the same sort of titanic price hikes that have plagued the market for rare earth elements ? In a word, no, says Peter Oliver, the CEO of Talison Lithium LTD ., the largest lithium miner in the world with a 30 percent global market share. But the world could see significant price increases in the future. Over the next decade, projected supply will barely be able to keep up with the rapidly increasing demand from existing markets like consumer electronics and pharmaceuticals, he noted. If electric vehicles take off faster than expected, or if China restricts exports on the 16 percent of global lithium reserves it controls, prices could spike. Lithium carbonate -- a semi-refined material from lithium ores that subsequently gets converted into the salts and metallic powders added to batteries and ceramics -- now sells for around $5,000 a to...